Chapter 45: Sand Sea Fishing

This was equivalent to trying to put out a burning cart of firewood with a cup of water—an utterly inadequate measure. And once they emptied their supply, what were they supposed to drink afterward?

If they were to decide to return, it would take two days just to reach the nearest relay station.

He Lingchuan folded his arms. “Ten taels of silver says State Preceptor Sun already has a backup plan. We shouldn’t be the ones worrying.” After all, it was always easier resting under a big tree.

Ten taels?

Situ Han winced. “I can’t afford that bet.”

Sun Fuping glanced at them, then lightly brushed a finger across his ring. Suddenly, a grapefruit-sized, round, and taut water orb appeared in his hand.

The old man really did come prepared. He Lingchuan watched as Sun Fuping stuffed the orb into the mouth of the strange beast atop his staff. Then, the entire water orb vanished.

After that, Sun Fuping rotated the staff so the beast head faced the pool and began chanting softly.

The beast opened its mouth and unleashed a thick, powerful stream of water, spraying directly into the pool.

“This is the water jet bladder of a sprayfish[1],” Sun Fuping explained casually.

He Lingchuan had heard of that odd species before. They were native to the lakes and seas of the central region of the Yuan. Sprayfish could spit jets strong enough to knock prey, such as cows, horses, and even juvenile elephants, into the water. Their water-blasting power was insane. During the dry season, they could even survive on land for a month or more.

But in this case, its pressure was not the key. The sprayfish’s water jet bladder could contract to store water, and it even lightened the load for the traveler.

It was a real treasure for anyone crossing the desert.

The jetting continued for over two quarters of an hour when Nian Songyu suddenly frowned and said, “Something’s wrong. The water level hasn’t risen in a while.”

Based on the width of the water jet, the pool should have been half full by now. Yet before everyone’s eyes, only about two-thirds of the bottom was covered while the rest remained bone dry.

Where’s the water going?

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Sun Fuping reached down and pressed his palm to the bottom of the pool. “As I suspected, something’s drawing the water in.”

“So what do we do now?”

Sun Fuping’s face darkened slightly. “Keep watching.”

Another two quarters of an hour passed, and the reservoir within the water jet bladder was drained entirely. It even gave a few pitiful coughs. Still, the pool’s water level had not budged.

Everyone realized they were in trouble.

No matter how meticulous Sun Fuping’s plans had been, reality always came to smack preparation right in the face.

Nian Songyu thought for a moment, then turned to Zeng Feixiong and said, “Go collect everyone’s waterskins.”

Zeng Feixiong was stunned. “Are we really going to be using up our drinking water? We still have days left in the desert! Moreover, what if it’s still not enough?”

Nian Songyu glanced at Sun Fuping. Seeing that he said nothing, he pressed on, “We can’t afford to fail now. Do it, quickly.”

Marching through the desert, water was life. Zeng Feixiong could already imagine how his men would react to this order. “B-but...”

Nian Songyu’s expression hardened. “Are you refusing a direct order?”

Panic flashed across Zeng Feixiong’s face. Instinctively, he looked to He Chunhua.

Nian Songyu’s eyes turned colder.

These insignificant local officials really don’t know their place.

He Chunhua did not have a good answer either. Disobey the order and retreat, or pour every last drop into the pool and leave their fates to chance?

Neither option was rational.

As he hesitated, his eldest son spoke up, casual as could be, “Why make this so tense? If we take the soldiers’ water, how are we getting back through the desert?”

Nian Songyu replied frostily, “We’ve already come most of the way to our goal. What if we’re just one step away?”

“Can you guarantee that’s the case?”

Nian Songyu gave a thin smile. “Yes.”

Even if he was unable to do so, so what? By the time they realized it, the water would be gone, and the deed would be irreversible. What then? Would the troops rebel?

He Lingchuan rolled his eyes and turned to ask Sun Fuping, “So the pool just needs to be filled, right?”

“Correct.”

“Then, does it have to be clean water?” He Lingchuan was now focused on the key issue. “What about other liquids?”

“Such as?”

“Blood,” He Lingchuan said bluntly. Then, to prevent anyone from getting the wrong idea and turning this into some human-sacrifice ritual, he quickly clarified, “I mean the blood of monsters or mutated beasts. The Panlong Desert is full of large creatures. It shouldn’t be too hard to bag a few and bleed them out.”

“Excellent thinking! The rite of divine recompense often uses blood offerings. Mixing fresh blood into the pool might not just be acceptable to the Generous Pot, it might actually please it.” Sun Fuping’s eyes lit up at once. He tossed the walnut boats to Nian Songyu and pointed at He Lingchuan. “Take some men and head into the desert. Bring back a few giant beasts.”

* * *

The group replenished their doses of soul-masking powder and re-entered the desert.

Both the local wildlife and the Three Corpses Worms were more active in the cool night air. Nian Songyu deployed the walnut boats for everyone to stand on and ordered the boatmen to bait their lines into the sand to fish.

Nian Songyu stood, while He Lingchuan sat. Neither of them felt like sparing the other even a glance.

This round of “sand fishing” did not go smoothly, and quite some time passed without a single bite. He Lingchuan’s back ached from sitting so long, and when a few Three Corpses Worms swam close to the boat, he casually called over a subordinate.

“Ah, that’s the spot. Lower. Yeah, right there. Put some strength into it.”

He Lingchuan groaned in comfort as he received his back massage. Hedonism really did erode the will. Who would have thought that just three months ago, he was a shut-in who could not stand anyone getting within half a meter of him?

Nian Songyu shook his head in quiet disapproval, but then He Lingchuan asked with his eyes closed, “Commandant Nian, if I may ask, why did you personally come to Heishui City?”

“What?”

“This is practically a suicide mission with a near-zero chance of returning alive, yet the Grand General of the Northern Expedition actually sends his own son? He’s your real father, isn’t he?”

Nian Songyu’s face twitched. “Didn’t Commandery Administrator He send you along? Or are you not his flesh and blood?”

A direct jab for a direct jab. Some men just did not have a poetic bone in their bodies.

With a snap of his fingers, He Lingchuan sent a dagger flying into the wooden beam Nian Songyu was leaning on.

As an aside, his throwing accuracy was still bad. Once the blade left his hand, even he had no idea where it would end up.

Before Nian Songyu could react, his guards had already surged forward, blades half-drawn, ready to shout in protest.

He Lingchuan raised a finger to his lips, “Shhh,” and beat them to it. “Be quiet, unless you want to scare off the prey!” He pointed below the boat. “Forget the mission and you’ll answer to military law!”

Nian Songyu waved his men off and said coolly, “You might survive, but your chances are slim. Be a good little mutt and follow orders, and maybe you and your father will both make it home. Otherwise, Madame Ying may find herself a widow. As for your younger brother...”

He licked his lips, a flash of vicious excitement in his eyes. “Well, you don’t have to worry about him. Whether you live or die, I’ll make sure he gets back to the capital. I bet he’ll be very popular there.”

He Lingchuan’s gaze darkened, and his expression turned cold.

The Provincial Governor of Xun Province, the Minister of War, and State Preceptor Sun... Why are these three titans all entangled in this?

Maybe my father should never have taken on the mission involving the Generous Pot.

He was just about to respond when suddenly, the boatman’s fishing pole jerked violently, so hard that it nearly yanked him right off the bow.

Something had finally taken the bait!

The group sprang into action, working together to haul the creature up from beneath the sand.

It was another sand wyrm, but this one was much smaller than the two behemoths they had seen during the day. This one was just the right size to fit inside the boat.

1. Note that these are made-up. ☜